Staff ReporterShillong, Nov 29: The Meghalaya Unit of BJP Thursday clarified that Vijay Raj, Sanjay Biswa and S.P Rai, who recently resigned from primary membership of the party had not renewed their Primary Membership since 2009.Hence, since 2009 their membership was not recorded in the Party enrolment register in the State BJP Office.“So the Party feels that their resignation has no meaning at all,” BJP said in a state here.

Staff ReporterSHILLONG, Nov 29: Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma Thursday said that the government has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the first year of implementing the exclusive ‘Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS)’ to cover the entire population of the state even as he asserted that the scheme would be a blessing for the people from the poor economical background.“The MHIS would be officially launched tentatively on December 12 or 15 next,” Dr Sangma told reporters here.He informed, “Rs 12 crore have been earmarked for the first year of implementation of the MHIS.”With 29.64 lakhs population as per the 2011 census, the scheme dedicated to the people will be a major boost to specially the down trodden section of the society with poor economical background.

Staff ReporterShillong, Nov 29: The Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) on Wednesday received its first ever humanitarian award at the 5th 'Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice' that was held at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.The award was given by the Harmony Foundation, founded in October 2005 by Dr. Abraham Mathai to establish communal harmony between various communities, castes and work towards the benefit of all the communities without any discrimination as to religion, caste, creed, gender or region. The patrons of the Foundation include Tushar Gandhi, Mahesh Bhatt and Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat.

Staff ReporterSHILLONG, Nov 29: The Hynniewtrep A’chik National Movement – Mawsynram Circle (HANM-MC) has accused Mawsynram legislator and KHADC Chief Pynshngain N Syiem of misutilizing Rs 4 lakh sanctioned under the Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) for the construction of two footpaths in the constituency.“We condemn the legislator for his involvement in misappropriation of public money,” HANM circle president Wanshuwa Shangpliang said.

Slight dip in nuisance calls, but problem continuesStaff ReporterShillong, Nov 29: “… What community are you from … I just wanted to talk to you…”This is just one of the excerpts of the numerous nuisance calls the GVK EMRI 108 emergency services, Shillong receives in its communication centre every day.In 2012 alone, till November 15, the service has received 61,459 nuisance calls. The service has received a stunning total of 3,15,426 nuisance calls since its inception in February 2, 2009 till November 15, 2012.The wheels of hope, which has been providing emergency services relentless to the people of the state, has been battling the wits of such callers with utmost patience.